


Unexpected

by Quiet_Shadow



Series: Sweet Valentine(s) [3]
Category: Transformers Generation One
Genre: Blind Date, Fluff, M/M, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 15:02:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13684080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quiet_Shadow/pseuds/Quiet_Shadow
Summary: Of all the mechs Hound could have been set up with on a blind date, Soundwave was certainly the last he expected...





	Unexpected

**Author's Note:**

> For the Valentine's Day prompt 'Blind date/set up by friends'

Oh Primus, this was going to turn into a disaster, Hound thought faintly as he caught sight of the mech sitting at the table the waiter had designated to him.

This had to be a joke -- a tasteless one, even from Sideswipe. It was the last time he was going to use the red twin's new and increasingly popular Dating Services, Hound swore as he felt torn over what to do.

Sure, on one end, the war was long since over -- though not long enough that grudges weren't still held and scars hadn't quite healed, just stopped aching enough to at least be polite if not cordial with mechs once belonging to the opposite faction -- and Hound had always prided himself on being open of mind and friendly with everyone he met. He already had had a few drinks with various former Decepticons in the last vorn, and it hadn't been half-bad so long they had carefully avoided sensitive subjects such as, well, most if not all of the war and their respective activities during that time. In some cases, Hound had even found some common ground with said Decepticons, be it shared interests and hobbies or memories of certain places on Cybertron and pre-war events they had witnessed.

On the other end...

It was Soundwave.

What had gone through Sideswipe (or his ‘cohorts of employees', since they were the one who reviewed most of the applications)'s processor to set Hound on a blind date with Soundwave of all mechs? Hound had difficulties picturing a mech more different from himself than Megatron's former Communication Officer and Third in Command. It didn't bode well at all for the evening.

For a moment, Hound was sorely tempted to just turn heels and leave and call it a night. But... that would have been incredibly rude to do as well as disheartening for Soundwave. Hound didn't know for sure because he wasn't keeping tab on his former enemies, but rumor has it that Soundwave was a workaholic who seldomly went out -- a loner who didn't know how to socialize. If so, going on a blind date must have been exceptional for him, a big step into reaching out to his fellow mechs -- and if his date didn't show up or abandoned him after seeing who he was, well... Hound didn't dare to imagine what it would do for the Cassette Holder's self-confidence and his future attempts to socialize and date.

Surely, Hound could give Soundwave a chance?

It was just for a cycle or two anyway, he mentally repeated to himself as he carefully made his way toward the table, a faint smile on his lips.

To his surprise, Soundwave acted like a gentlemech, raising as he came near and holding the chair out for him. That was unexpected and well, rather sweet of him. Even among the Autobots, there were very few mechs who ever did (Mirage didn’t count, because he was Mirage and had been taught how to properly treat a date).

They didn't speak much at first, both awkwardly sizing each other; Hound was half-certain Soundwave had to entertain the same dubious feeling about this blind date as him and that he probably was disappointed with the company.

Hound was under no illusion he was the ideal partner for a mech like Soundwave. Hound was an outdoor kind of mech; his altmode had been built to endure long treks into the wild whereas Soundwave had a non-mobile altmode and the profile the Autobots had put together on him indicated (tentatively, it should be added, because nobody had ever managed to get a definite answer, not even Mirage) he was more an indoor kind of mech.

Soundwave would have probably been more at ease with someone like Jazz, Hound mused as the waiter came back with their order -- standard midgrade energon, sprinkled with copper for him and cobalt and iron for Soundwave.

"It's good," Hound hummed after taking a sip.

Soundwave nodded. "Quite. Café: known to serve good mixes. Reputation: main factor in Soundwave's choice for meeting." His speech pattern was still a little brisk, but his voice was warmer than it once was and more melodious. If Hound had to guess, the mech had gotten rid of a few extra filters -- which was good, because Soundwave's usual monotone had been slightly creepy back then.

"Ah, I had wondered about that," the green mech murmured as he glanced around.

The café wasn't anything like the popular, loud Swerve's or the more elitist 'Visages' or even the famed Maccadam's; it was small and quiet, out of the way from the main avenues, with few clients and a calm ambiance, enforced by the low, barely audible music and the discreet decoration : asingle crystal bloom on each table in a small vase decorated with geometrical patterns, a low setting for the light, medium and tan colors to paint the walls. It suited Soundwave, though Hound would have expected a Cassette Holder to enjoy a warmer, happier atmosphere. Blaster certainly would have complained about the low setting of the music, for example.

He said as much. "I would have thought you'd enjoy something livelier," Hound confided.

"Query: why?" Soundwave sounded puzzled and Hound blinked back at him, suddenly unsure.

"Well... I would have pegged you as a music fan," he tried. "And you can't hear much here."

It made the blue mech shake his head. It was hard to say given his mask and visor, but Hound would have sworn the former Decepticon looked rueful. "Negative. Soundwave, not a big fan of music. Current volume and songs: more than appropriate for personal tastes."

Hound blinked. "You're not?" he repeated, feeling stupid. That was new.

"Negative," Soundwave replied again. "Soundwave: former Communication Officer : much more interested in 'communications'." He moved his fingers in quotation marks, and it would have been pretty funny if Hound hadn't felt so embarrassed.

"But music is a form of communication as well, isn't it?" Hound pointed out fainfly. "That's what Blaster always said anyway." And perhaps mentioning Soundwave's biggest rival in wartime wasn't the best idea he had...

"Acknowledged. But music: not Soundwave's favored form of communication nor favored one to study. Soundwave: not Blaster."

Soundwave gave him a side look and the green mech shuffled uneasily. "I, I'm sorry. I... All the Cassettes Holders I met so far enjoyed music of any any shape or kind. I shouldn't have assumed you did just because you're one as well. I'm sorry," he repeated.

Soundwave titled his head curiously. "Assumption : forgiven. Hound: not familiar with Soundwave and Soundwave: not familiar with Hound. Evening together: good way to remedy that."

Hound smiled tentatively. "Quite true."

"If Soundwave may...” He paused, seeking his words. “Query: Hound has known many Cassettes Holders?"

The green mech blinked. "You and Blaster asides or included? Because if you are, then, hmm…, four, I'd say," he answered after thinking. Cassettes Holders weren’t a rare type exactly, but they weren’t that frequent in the parts of Cybertron where Hound used to hang out in. "I didn't know Cantabile that much but she was a regular at that bar I went to in Tyger Pax back in the days -- good singing voice, she loved getting on the makeshift stage for karaoke -- but I worked closely with Aphex for a while."

"Name: unfamiliar," Soundwave commented. "Aphex: member of the Ark crew?"

Hound chuckled. "Oh no, no. He wasn't an Autobot -- or at least I don't think he joined.” If he had, Hound had certainly never seen him after. “It predates the war, actually, back when I was working as a specialist for hire – specialist in mechanimals,” he added for Soundwave’s benefit, knowing the other mech would ask. “Sometimes before the war, I got hired by the Iacon Archives as a tracker/bodyguard to accompany their agents in the field. That’s how I met Aphex; he was the mech assigned to record everything about wildlife in the Manganese Mountains. We worked together for three or four vorns," he recalled, picturing the yellow and green mech in his mind as he last saw him.

Soundwave's visor brightened. "Purpose of the expedition?" he queried, and he did sound interested (another point for him; most of Hound’s previous dates hadn’t cared to learn much about his pre-war occupations).

"An upgrade of the Archives sound banks, of all things," Hound replied with amusement. "Someone in there realized at some point that it was completely outdated and lacking important noises and decided to remedy the problem. They revamped the whole system and opened new banks to record things they had never thought about before -- like cries from native Cybertronian fauna.” He shook his head. “Why they never did before, I have no idea, but I’m not complaining. It was an interesting job, especially since it was only about observation and sound-taking and no harm ever befell the mechanimals.” Far too often, people had hired Hound to track down lifeforms to hunt – that was how he had first met Mirage, after all.

“Three to four vorns: long time to record wild mechanimals’ cries,” Soundwave noted.

“Ah, but it is an art,” Hound chuckled. “Aphex and his crew were both very professional and very thorough; they wanted to make sure to have all variant possible, from a hatchling calling out to their parent to the cry signaling a danger to the soft rumble indicating curiosity. My holograms were a big help to him; I projected images to incite a reaction while he and his Cassettes recorded the noises,” he explained.

Soundwave nodded. “Tactic: perfectly logical. Hound: must really love animals,” he added with a tilt of his head.

Hound rubbed the back of his help. “Well, yes. I like nature in general, honestly, but animals are kinda fascinating when you observe them in their natural habitat, aren’t they? Take Earth, for example; I…” he paused, wondering if perhaps he hadn’t erred again; few Decepticons liked to speak about Earth.

Once again, Soundwave surprised him. "Soundwave: likes elephants," the blue mech commented offhandedly.

Hound blinked. “Sorry?”

Soundwave shuffled and repeated. “Soundwave: likes elephants. Elephants: my favorite creatures on Earth. Elephants: far superior to humans.”

Slowly, Hound smiled. Perhaps he had been wrong and this blind date wasn't going to be a disaster after all...

**End**


End file.
